At the present time, if a consumer wishes to purchase a large volume of beer for either a party or personal use, the consumer purchases a container called a keg. Since beer is best served chilled, the consumer must find a way to chill the beer in the keg and keep it cold until serving.
The beer in conventional kegs is usually chilled and kept cool prior to purchase by placing the keg in a refrigerator. After purchase by the consumer, the beer is usually kept cool by placing the keg in a tub which is large enough for the keg and a quantity of ice packed about the keg. Most consumers do not have or want either a refrigerator or a tub which is large enough for a keg of beer.
In the past, various attempts have been made to provide a more convenient means for cooling a keg of beer. One such attempt has been to provide a separate, oversized, outer jacket of some sort for the keg in which ice can be packed around the keg. Attempts to make a jacket an integral part of the keg have been unsuccessful because the outer jacket can interfere with the automated equipment which brewers use to handle conventional shaped kegs.
There is a need for a container-cooler in which beer can be sold and stored. There also is a need for a container-cooler for beer which can be handled by conventional automated keg handling equipment and which also provides the consumer a way of chilling the beer and keeping it cool without using tubs, outer jackets or refrigerators.